Syrian observer team reports ’continuous violence’

The head of the UN observer mission in Syria says his teams can confirm government forces waged attacks from the ground and air Thursday in Tremseh, where there are reports of a mass killing.

Norwegian Maj. Gen. Robert Mood says Friday that the fighting involved helicopters and "mechanized units" - indicating the government was using heavy weapons. Mood described the assault as "continuous violence."

Anti-regime activists in Syria say government gunners rained shells on Tremseh before armed thugs moved in, leaving scores of people dead. The government blamed the bloodshed on terrorists.